Device for sorting pieces of timber, such as logs, on the timber receiving table

ABSTRACT

A device is provided for sorting timber on a timber receiving table upon which the timber bundle is placed. The device consists of a carriage reciprocally movable in the direction of travel of the timber above the table and having downwardly directed arms which can be extended into the path of the timber for the purpose of grouping and shifting the pieces of timber, and which can be moved out of the path of the timber for the purpose of permitting free movement of the timber.

I United States Patent n 13,ss1,s92

[72] Inventor E Am [56] References Cited Muottikatu l8, Hyvinkaa,Finland [21] 823328 2 358 283 9/1944 Walter I98/l66X [22] Filed May9,1969 [45] Patented June 1, 1971 Primary ExaminerAllen N. Knowles [32]Priority July 11, 1968 Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [33]Finland [31] 1993/68 [54] A BSTRAC'isA device is provided for sortingtimber on a TABLE timber receiving table upon which the timber bundle isplaced.

5 CI 2 D F The device consists of a carriage reciprocally movable in theaims rawmg direction of travel of the timber above the table and having[52] U.S.Cl 209/125, downwardly directed arms which can be extended intothe 198/166 path of the timber for the purpose of grouping and shiftingthe [51] Int. Cl B07c 5/36 pieces of timber, and which can be moved outof the path of [50] Field of Search 209/125, the timber for the purposeof permitting free movement of the 122, 123; 198/166 timber.

DEVICE FOR SORTING PIECES OF TIMBER, SUCH AS LOGS, ON THE TIMBERRECEIVING TABLE The present trend is to transfer the handling of timber,such as its sorting by timber species, its sorting into timber to bepulped and timber for the sawmill, its cutting to specified lengths,etc., from the forests to take place at the wood conversioninstallations. The trees are merely felled and preliminarily pruned inthe forest and their tops are cut off. The trees are then transported byvarious means from the forest to their destination.

The present invention concerns a timber separating and sorting devicewhich is particularly suitable for use in a wood conversion plant. Theobject of the invention is to provide a device for sorting timber on thetimber receiving table, upon which the timber bundle is placed. Thetable may be composed of two consecutive conveyors, the later of the twoconveyors operating at higher speed. The table may also be composed ofmore than two consecutive conveyors, in which instance the speedcontinuously increases in transition from one conveyor to the next. Inthis manner it is achieved thatthe timber bundle is spread out, so thatat the ultimate end of the table the pieces of timber are separate fromeach other. The receiving table may also be without conveyors.

In connection with a receiving table of this kind a sorting device haspreviously been used which consists of a crane, which grabs one piece oftimber at a time and carries it, depending on the kind of timber, ontoits particular conveyor. However, a device of this type, which handlesthe pieces of timber one by one, has only low capacity.

The aim of the present invention is to afford a device with considerablysuperior sorting capacity. The invention is based on the statisticalfact that pieces of timber of different kinds do not alternate at thefinal end of the receiving table but that there may rather be severalpieces of the same kind of timber one after the other at the final endof the table. The invention is characterized in that the device consistsofa carriage movable reciprocally in the timber transporting directionabove the table and which has downwardly directed arms, which can bemade to extend into the path of the timber for the purpose of groupingand moving the pieces of timber, and which can be retracted from thepath of the timber so that the timber is free to move on, the table.

By means of these arms, the operator of the device can thus group thepieces of timber on the table in such a manner that consecutivelyoccurring pieces of the same kind of timber always constitute their ownparticular group. It is then easy to conduct these groups by means ofvarious kinds of equipment to their particular conveyors.

The arms may be placed on the carriage in various ways. Most suitably,they are arranged in one row which is transverse to the direction inwhich the timber moves.

The arms may push downward from the carriage in their longitudinaldirection. But most appropriately the arms are turnable in a verticalplane parallel to the direction of travel of the timberf Incompletelypruned trees, in particular, may be tangled and may lie across eachother even at the final end of the table. For the purpose of separatingthem, according to one advantageous embodiment of the invention thedifferent arms are movable independent to each other. It is thuspossible, by using only one or two arms, to seize the end of one pieceof timber and to drag or push it by moving the carriage in one directionor the other. In order that the arms might be able both to drag andpush, it is appropriate to give them an angular shape.

In the vent event that the timber is exceedingly poorly pruned and thusshows a great tendency to tangle, the carriage may be used at theinitial end of the table to tear the timber bundle apart. If, inaddition to its primary task, the carriage hardly has time to performsuch timber detaching work, another similar carriage may be placed abovethe initial end of the table. The carriage is thus also suited as suchto the purpose of dispersing the timber bundle.

The invention is described hereinafter with reference to the attacheddrawing, in which FIG. 1 shows the device in'vertical sectionalong theline I-l in FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 shows the same device, viewed from above.

The device consists of a receiving,'or conveyor,'table, which iscomposed of two consecutive belt or chain conveyors 1 and 2. Bothconveyors are made up of several parallel belts or chains. The speed ofconveyor 2 is higher than that of conveyor 1.

Above the conveyor table a track 3 is mounted, on which a carriage 4 canbe moved. The carriage 4 has downwardly directed arms 5 of angularshape, which have been arranged in a row that is transverse to thedirection of travel of the timber. The arms 5 can be turned,independently of each other, upward and downward by means of thepressure cylinders 6.

For the person operating thedevice a place can be arranged e.g. on thecarriage 4, so that he has an unobstructed view of the timber moving onthe conveyor table. In front of him, he has a control desk withpushbuttons for moving the carriage 4 and the different arms 5. In theposition shown in FIG. 1, the arms 5 are in their lower position,whereby the movement of the pieces of timber coming behind is preventedwhen the preceding pieces of timber have moved some distance away, theoperator raises the arms 5 so that the timber is free to move along withthe conveyor 2. As soon as the pieces of timber 7 have passed the arms5, the operator lowers the arms 5, whereby the movement of thesubsequent timber is prevented. The pieces of timber 7 may be, forinstance, coniferous wood suitable for pulpwood. When these pieces passthe arms 5, the operator depresses the pushbutton of the respectiveelectronic memory unit. Then, after the timber 7 has passed over theconveyors 8 and 9, a guiding plate 10 will turn into the proper positionso that the timber 7 falls onto conveyor 11 or 12. In connection withthe conveyor 9, circular saws 13 have been mounted, which cut the timberinto predetermined lengths.

After the timber 7 has travelled some distance past the arms 5, theoperator releases the next two pieces of timber 14, which may be e.g.hardwood suitable for pulpwood. At the same time he actuates therespective pushbutton of the electronic memory unit, so that this timber14 will be directed onto its particular conveyor 11 or 12.

If the next piece of timber is, for instance, one suitable for use bythe sawmill, it is guided to the conveyor 16. For this, the operator hasto depress the respective pushbutton while he releases the piece 15 frombehind the arms 5.

Different embodiments of the invention may naturally vary within thescope of the claims presented below. It should be noted that theinvention does not concern the conveyors and elements provided after theconveyor table 1,2, because these conveyors and elements may be arrangedin a very great multiplicity of ways.

On the track 3 one may place, in addition to the carriage 4, anothercarriage, which has its place at the initial end of the track 3 andwhich preliminarily tears the timber bundle apart.

Iclaim:

1. A device for sorting timber comprising a timber receiving table uponwhich timber is placed and advanced, a carriage reciprocally movable inthe direction of travel of the timber above the table, downwardlydirected arms pivotally mounted on said carriage and operator controlledso as to be selectively extendable into the path of the timbe" forstopping the advance of the pieces of timber, and movable out of thepath of the timber for the purpose of permitting free advance movementof the timber so that selected timber can be advanced in groups, saidarms being arranged in a transverse row relative to the direction oftravel of the timber, and being turnable in a plane parallel to thedirection of travel of the timber, said arms being movable independentlyof each other.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising conveyor means forreceiving the timber from said receiving table in groups as selected bysaid arms, a plurality of conveyors for receiving timber from saidconveyor means, and operator controlled selector means for guiding thegroups of timber selected by the arms into respective of said conveyors.

3 A device as claimed in claim 1. wherein said arms have an angularshape 4 A device as claimed in claim 1. wherein said carriage is movableon said track independently of the advance of the

1. A device for sorting timber comprising a timber receiving table uponwhich timber is placed and advanced, a carriage reciprocally movable inthe direction of travel of the timber above the table, downwardlydirected arms pivotally mounted on said carriage and operator controlledso as to be selectively extendable into the path of the timber forstopping the advance of the pieces of timber, and movable out of thepath of the timber for the purpose of permitting free advance movementof the timber so that selected timber can be advanced in groups, saidarms being arranged in a transverse row relative to the direction oftravel of the timber, and being turnable in a plane parallel to thedirection of travel of the timber, said arms being movable independentlyof each other.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising conveyormeans for receiving the timber from said receiving table in groups asselected by said arms, a plurality of conveyors for receiving timberfrom said conveyor means, and operator controlled selector means forguiding the groups of timber selected by the arms into respective ofsaid conveyors.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said armshave an angular shape.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidcarriage is movable on said track independently of the advance of thetimber on said timber receiving table.
 5. A device as claimed in claim4, wherein said arms are movable on said carriage independently of theadvance of the timber on said timber receiving table.